Finance, MS

Admission Requirements

Admission eligibility for the Master of Science in Finance program requires a four-year undergraduate degree (or foreign equivalent) from an accredited institution. The undergraduate degree may be in any discipline. Applications are accepted for Fall or Spring terms.

A complete application should include:

1. Application for Graduate Studies
2. Transcripts
   • Domestic transcripts - official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended
   • International transcripts - one original transcript and degree certificate in the original language and the other must be an official English Translation of the transcript.
3. Test Scores
   • Official GMAT or GRE scores, less than 5 years old
   • International applicants must submit comply with English language proficiency requirements. Full details are found at http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/english-proficiency/.
     • One of the following tests may be submitted to meet this requirement. Please note that scores over two years old will not be accepted.
     •  Official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score above 603 on the paper-based test or 100 on the internet-based test.
     • Official IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score above 6.5.
     • Official PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic) minimum of 70.
4. Non-refundable Application Fee(s)
   • An application fee is required ($75 for domestic applicants and $150 for international applicants).
5. Additional Requirements for International Applicants can be found at http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/
   • NOTE: International students must have a four-year degree from an accredited university to apply for the MBA. Three-year degrees are not considered equivalent. There is no bridge program at UH. Students with a three-year degree will likely need to combine it with a completed master’s degree from their home country before applying.
6. Resume
7. Goal Statement - In one to two pages, discuss what motivates you, how your personal and professional experience has shaped you, and how will you maximize the specialized Master’s degree to reach your future goals.
8. Letters of recommendation for MS in Finance are not required, nor accepted.

Degree Requirements

Credit hours required for this degree: 36.0

The Master of Science in Finance consists of 36 credits of graduate study: 9 credits of required foundation courses, 6 credits of required advanced courses and the remaining 21 hours of electives.

Program information is subject to change.

Academic Policies

• University of Houston Academic Policies  
• Academic Policies: C.T. Bauer College of Business  

All coursework in the MS Finance Program is graduate-level, designated within the Finance Department. Any course that is not coded FINA before the number must be approved by the MSF Program Director, even if the course is part of a certificate program. The only non-finance course that is pre-approved is ACCT 7340 Financial Statement Analysis (does not require a petition).

Transfer Credit Guidelines

Finance courses may not be transferred (the foundation courses may, however, be waived). Students who have completed appropriate courses in previous graduate course work may transfer a maximum of nine semester credit hours as non-finance electives.

The transfer of coursework is based on the following guidelines:

• Courses for which transfer credit is requested must have grades of ‘B’ or higher and may not be more than five years old at the time of graduation from UH with the MS Finance degree.

• The course work must be graduate-level and consistent with the advanced study of finance and business administration.

• The academic department must approve the transfer request. Final authority for the approval of all transfer requests rests with the M.S. Finance advisor.

• Requests for the transfer of courses taken prior to enrolling at UH should be made during the first term of attendance as a graduate student in the Bauer College of Business. Waiver/transfer request forms are available in University Classroom and Business Building (CBB) 424.

• Transfer credit is not given for either professional experience or professional development courses.

Continuous Enrollment

Unless students petition for a leave of absence, they must maintain continuous enrollment during the fall and spring terms. Students who are out of the program for more than one calendar year will be under the jurisdiction of the catalog in effect at the time of reentry.

Students who fail to maintain continuous enrollment for more than two calendar years must reapply for admission to the program and must meet admission requirements in effect at that time.

Effective Term of Admission

Admission is granted for a specific term. If students wish to postpone enrollment, they must secure approval from the graduate advisor. The first term in which students, as graduate students, complete graduate-level work that applies toward a degree is the effective term of admission.